In omitting Kevin Pietersen from February's limited-overs section of the tour to New Zealand, England are recognising that the workload placed on players who are integral to all forms of the game is becoming intolerable if their shelf-life is to be extended. Pietersen's break will start at the end of January, when the forthcoming five-match ODI series in India finishes, and he will be expected to join the Test squad in New Zealand in ample time to prepare for the pre-Test warm-up match which begins in Queenstown on 27 February.

In reality it represents a relatively brief respite for someone whose England commitments over the next 12 months beyond the three-Test New Zealand tour might well include 12 more matches, home ODIs and T20s against both New Zealand and Australia, and the ICC Champions Trophy, which takes place in England in June. The final Test in New Zealand is due to finish on 26 March but the first of the home series against them begins on 16 May and he would be expected to play some red-ball cricket prior to that. The IPL starts on 3 April but his commitments are likely to be reduced to five weeks or fewer.

In announcing the 14-man squads, the national selector, Geoff Miller said: "There are a number of players who we have decided not to select for parts of the competitive programme this winter as we look to manage their workloads effectively while ensuring we remain competitive across all formats.

"We feel this is the best way of keeping players as physically and mentally fresh as possible during a demanding 2013 and beyond. This approach also provides an opportunity for talented young players to gain more international experience which will be important for their development and the development of England sides in the future." It is an approach that he had already flagged when announcing the ODI squad for India earlier this month and one of which we can expect in the future.

England's squad for the two-match T20 series in New Zealand shows two changes from that which drew the series in India thanks to Eoin Morgan's remarkable last-ball six to win the second match. Stuart Broad, who missed the end of the India Test tour and the T20s that followed because of continuing problems with a bruised heel, will return as captain, although Morgan's success will not have gone unregistered given Broad's diminished performances lately.

Also included is Steven Finn, who has struggled with injury so far this winter. All of Jimmy Anderson, Graeme Swann and Jonathan Trott, rested from the India ODIs, return for the three-match New Zealand series.

Miller also announced a Lions squad that will undertake a five-match ODI series against Australia A in Australia in February. This squad, which contains 12 of those who were in India recently with the England Performance Programme, will be captained by Joe Root, who impressed with his recent Test debut in Nagpur.

The 21-year-old has been identified for a while as a potential England captain, but will now have to go through life with that tag attached a little more formally. Also included is the young Essex left-arm pace bowler Reece Topley, a step towards filling a gap in the England seam armoury that has been there since Ryan Sidebottom's terrific couple of years came to an end.

Others with a chance of winning a first Lions cap and making the first steps towards full recognition are Varun Chopra, Chris Wright, Toby Roland-Jones, Gary Ballance and Ben Foakes.